8th Grade Summer Mailing Information

Please scroll all the way down to view required forms for the 2023-2024 School Year.

August 2023

Dear Holdrum Families,

On behalf of Mrs. Puzzo and our teachers, I would like to welcome you to Holdrum Middle School for the 2023-2024 school year. 

Seventh and eighth grade students, because you have experience at Holdrum Middle School, we will hold you to a higher standard this year. You know the routines, rules and expectations; this will allow you to serve as role models for this year’s sixth graders. Don’t hesitate to lend a hand helping a new student, whether it’s giving directions to a classroom, assisting with a locker or just being a friendly face in the hallway. I know you will meet these expectations admirably. This  year we all will be learning new room locations and numbers due to our referendum!

Monday, September 11, 2023 is the first day of the school year. You should arrive at school no later than 7:50 a.m. Upon entry to school, please report directly to your advisory classroom, which is found within the summer mailing you received. Additionally, this mailing will also contain your locker number.

In our continuation of focus on student well being, Holdrum Middle School will implement the Ruler approach with our students. The Ruler approach is designed to help students and staff develop a common language to understand the value of emotions, build skills of emotional intelligence and create and maintain a positive school culture. It is an evidenced based approach to social and emotional learning (SEL) developed at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. At Holdrum Middle School, RULER will be infused into advisory sessions and throughout core and encore classes. In addition, the opening of “The Hawk’s Nest,” our student wellness center, will provide both staff and students at Holdrum Middle School an area that embodies the importance of students' social, emotional and physical wellness. “Wellness Wednesdays” will replace Advisory Day Mondays as we look  to repurpose our advisory program with a mid-week check in.

The River Vale School District continues to implement new mandates, standards, and curriculum in the many areas of study. Our eighth grade elective program continues to evolve and expand with new course offerings this year. Our language arts curriculum will be a focus this year as we develop revisions with our regional partners and the Pascack Valley Regional High School District. Our Math department continues to implement our recently revised mathematics series, Big Ideas. This series supports the premise that every student can be successful at math through real world connections, conducting meaningful conversations, and solving complex problems and rigorous tasks. The district will engage students in rigorous mathematical content ties to NJSLS to improve progress in mathematics achievement.  A new BSI (Basic Skills Instruction) program is being offered to students in the areas of language arts and mathematics at Holdrum Middle School. This program provides support services in addition to the regular instructional program to enhance student learning and success. We have found this to be beneficial for students in need of assistance in mathematics and language arts. By providing students with help in a small group setting and working collaboratively, we hope to improve targeted skill areas.

As part of the ongoing emphasis on technology, every Holdrum student will be receiving a Chromebook to use in school and at home. Student responsibility with these devices is paramount as they will be asked to bring them to and from home each day. To help protect these devices, each child’s computer will require payment of a $30 Accidental Damage Protection from the manufacturer each year. This plan protects against most accidental damage. Information on this process was sent out in district e-blast earlier this week. This mandatory payment should be made by August 28th.

Our school will continue to utilize Canvas, our student learning management system where students and parents will have access to information for all their classes in one easily accessible location. We will once again offer parent observer accounts which parents will be directed how to create and use directly from the Canvas website. You will receive step by step directions that will walk you through the process. 

Our students will have even more access to our state of the art Media Center, and a full slate of electives this year. We are looking forward to sharing these educational opportunities with you, to further ensure your success at Holdrum, in high school and beyond.

Some of your questions about Holdrum may be answered by visiting the Holdrum 60 webpage and watching some short presentations which provide pertinent information about daily life at Holdrum. This page can be found under “Our School” on the Holdrum website. 

It is my hope that Holdrum Middle School will provide opportunities for you to become a compassionate citizen, fearless trailblazer, global communicator, collaborative innovator, a problem seeker and solution maker for the 2023-2024 school year in a safe, secure and improved Holdrum Middle School. If you resolve to make this your best year ever, you will also help to make the Holdrum community the best place it can be.

I look forward to seeing you on September 11, 2023.

Yours in Education,

James P. Cody
Principal


Directions:

Letters and forms listed below can be viewed and downloaded by:

Visiting the HMS Website homepage:

Summer Mailing

8th Grade Summer Mailing

Part 1 - Mailing

These are the forms that you have received in this mailing which are specific to your child.

  • 8th Grade Welcome Letter
  • Individual Advisory and Locker Assignment Letter
  • Diploma Letter - Name Verification (due to advisory teacher by Friday, September 22, 2023)

If applicable

  • Bus Pass Letter

              

Part 2 - Mandatory

The annual Chromebook Accidental Damage Protection Payment must be made through MySchoolBucks no later than Monday August 28th. Information for MySchoolBucks can be found under Parent Resources on the district website.

Part 3 - Informative

These letters do not need to be returned to HMS, they are for your review and can all be found online.

Part 4 - Optional

These are the forms which only apply as necessary.  Please fill out forms that pertain to your child(ren) and return to HMS no later than Friday, September 22, 2023.


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